Sphygmomanometer



Aug. 18, 1936. E. BANDOLY 2,051,539

SPHYGMOMANOMETER Filed Jan. 24, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENT OR .E'BMH BANDOLY BY 1 Am awk AT RNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1936 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE SPHYGMOMANOMETER Application January 24, 1936, Serial No. 60,661

7 Claims. (0113-44) This invention relates to manometers and more particularly to sphygmomanometers.

In sphygmomanometers employing mercury as the indicating liquid, much difiiculty has been 5 encountered in the past in preventing leakage of the mercury during transportation of the instruments. Various expedients have been resorted to, such as employing a stopper at the discharge opening in the fixture leading from thereservoir 10 of the instrument, but such arrangements have been inconvenient to use.

In accordance with the present invention, it is proposed to provide 'a valve connection with the fixture associated with the reservoir whereby the 15 mercury may be prevented at will from entering the glass indicating tube of the instrument without disturbing the tube or its mounting.

Another feature of the invention relates to a simple inexpensive arrangement for mounting the scale plates adjacent theindicating tube of the instrument. a a e Other features and advantages will appear from the detailed description and claims when taken with the drawings in which Fig. 1 is a 25 perspective View of a sphygmomanometer of the present invention with the cover or instrument support thereof in its open position; Fig. 2 is a plan view, partially in section, of a reservoir and a reservoir fixture for the sphygmomanometer; 30 Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionof the same taken substantially on the 1ine'3-3 of Fig. 2; Figs. 4 and 5 are different views of the valve or cut-off plate interposed between the reservoir and the glass indicating tube; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary 35 plan view of a modified fixture having mounted thereon a difierent type of cut-off valve; Fig.v '7 is a vertical section of this construction taken on the line 'l'! of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary front view of the scale plates of a 4 modified type of scale plates and scale plate support; Fig. 9 is a cross section taken substantially on the line 9.-'-9 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary front view; and Fig. 11- is a cross section of the same taken on the line ll-ll of Referring especially to Fig. 1, the numeral generally designates a case having a coveror instrument support 6' hingedly connected to one end of the case proper, which cover is movable 50 to the position shown in Fig. 1 when the instrument is in use and which can'be folded down to close the case when the instrument is to be carried. This case-and its cover maybe made ofany suitablelmaterial such asidie-cast metal. 5 The cover hasmounted thereon, a fixture I carrying a steel reservoir 8 for mercury or the like, which fixture is provided with a passageway 9 leading from the reservoir to a recess Ill in the upper face of the fixture. The upper end of the reservoir 8 terminates in a nipple I I. This 5 nipple has connected thereto, by a rubber tube I2, an inflatable cuff [3 which can be inflated by a well-known pump or hand bulb M. A removable indicating tube [5 rests in the recess l0 and is in liquid-tight connection with the passageway 9. The upper end of this tube is retained in the position shown by an apertured cap l6 which is screw-threaded into a strip I! having its down-turned ends l8 screwed to the cover in any suitable manner. The cap IS in- 15 cludes a well-known barometer kid filter (not shown) of such texture that air will readily pass therethrough but the passage of mercury is prevented. At each side of the indicating tube l5, there is provided a graduated scale strip I9 which is mounted on the cover in a manner to be set forth.

It is the practice when shipping such an instrument to keep all of the mercury within the reservoir and the fixture thereof, to avoid the 5 hammer action and leakage which would take place if the mercury were permitted to enter the indicating tube. In order to retain the mercury in the reservoir and the fixture during shipment, various expedients have been resorted to but it has been necessary to remove the indicating tube I5, or to disturb the relation of the cap IS with the end of the tube in order to introduce a cork or toactuate a plug at the discharge opening of the fixture. .In accordance with the present in- Vention, a novel arrangement is provided whereby the flow of mercury from the fixture to the indicating tube is cut-off at will Without disturbing the tube or cap. In this arrangement a valve plate 20, provided with an opening 2| therein slides on the bottom of the recess H], or a washer (not shown) resting thereon, and has its front end portion 22 projecting through a slot in the front of'the fixture. The rear end of this slide is provided with a stop 23 which limits the outward movement of the slide, thereby preventing its withdrawal completely from the fixture. On the top of the plate -20 there is provided a washer of cork '24, or other suitable material having an opening therein which registers with thef'bore in the indicating tube [5 and with the discharge opening of the passageway 9. A suitable ring 25 serves to center the indicatingtube 15 with its bore in registry with theppening in r the washer. 5

When the instrument is inuse, the valve plate 20 is pushed inwardly as far as it can go, as indicated by the full line position in Fig. 2 so that the opening 2| in the plate will register with the opening in the washer and with the bore of the tube l5. When it is desired to out off the fiow of mercury or other indicating medium from the passageway 9 in-the fixture into the bore of the indicating tube IS, the plate is pulled to its outermost position as determined by the stop 23, the projecting hooks or handles 26 facilitating this movement of the plate.

7 V In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and '7, a cup 21 having anaperture therein, ismounted on the fixture 1 so that the aperture in the cup communicates with the passageway 9 in the fixture. This cup is provided with washers 28 and 29 of a somewhat resilient However, when the disc is rotated to its dotted line position as illustratedin Fig. ,6, this opening isout of registry with the openings in the washers. This disc is provided with a handle '32 projecting through the rim of the cup so that the disc can be rotated between the two 35 1 understood 'from the disclosure in Figs. ,8 and 9.

extreme positions as indicated.

The scale plates l'9 are preferably mounted on the cover 6 of the instrument, as will best be There are provided on the cover, two forwardly projecting ribs 36' spaced apart adista-nce ap proximately equal to. the diameter of the indicating tube 15; An ;arcuate backing piece 31 generally, conforming to the curvature of the indicating-tube is provided with resilient lugs 38 which grip the outer sides of the ribs 36. The backing stripyis also'provided with a pair of apertured arms '39 which are adapted-to receive screws by which'the arms are attached to internally, threaded lugs 43 on the front of the instrument cover. The backing strip is also provided with severalpairs of cars. 44, herein illustrated asthree pairs, on which the scale plates .19 'are' mounted. Each of the ears 44 restson the-front end of a boss 40 carried by the cover. These scale plates, which are suitablygraduated in units of measure, such as millimeters of mercury, have their inner vertical edges positioned closely adjacent the indicating tube l5, while their outer' edges. respectively engage notches 4| in raised portions of the instrument cover. It should benoted that these scale plates l9 are secured by screws or other suitable fastening meansto the arms .44 provided on the backing of-theistrip. 7

In the'modified form of the invention shown 7 in Fig. -10'the backing (strip 31 is held on the instrument cover merelyby the frictional engagementof the lugs 38 with the out-side suriaoesof the ribs 36, due tov the natural resilience of these lugs. The scale plates-l9 are mounted on the-arms 40 as; previously indicated and the remaining construction is similar tothat shown in Figs. '8' and 9. In this arrangement it: is V merelynecessary to remove the indicating glass I5 when itis desired to remove the scale plates from the instrument cover, the removal thereof 'being' eflected 'inerely by pulling the backing strip and the scale plate attached thereto forward to disengage the resilient lugs 38 from the ribs 36.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a reservoir containing mercury orlike indicating liquid, a fixture having a discharge opening therein and a passageway leading from said discharge opening to the interior of said reservoir, a transparent indicating tube in substantially liquid-tight engagement with said fixture and with the bore of said tube in communication with said passage way, and a sliding valve associated with said fixture and movable at right angles to the discharge portion of said passageway whereby the flow of mercury from said passageway is permitted or stopped as desired.

2. Ina device of the'class described, a reser voir containing mercury or like indicating liquid, a fixture having a discharge opening therein and a passageway leading jrom said discharge opening to the interior of said reservoir, atransparent indicating tube in substantially liquid-tight engagement with said fixture and with the bore of said tube in communication with said passage-' way, and a; valve plate movable in its principal I plane across said passageway to open and close the same at, will wherebythe flow of mercury from said passagewayis permitted or stopped as desired.

3. In a device of the class described, a reservoir containing mercury orthe like indicating liquid, a fixture having a discharge opening therein and a passageway leadingfrom said-discharge opening to the interior of said reservoir, a transparent indicating tube; in substantially liquid-tight engagement; with said fixture and with the bore of said tube in communication with said passageway, and a valve platemovable rectilinearly inits principal plane across said passageway to open and close the'same at will whereby the flow of mercury from said passageway is permitted or stopped as desired.

4. ma device of the class described, a reservoir containing mercury or the like, indicating liquid, a fixture having a discharge opening therein andjapassageway leading from said dis-.- charge opening to the interior of said reservoir, a transparent indicating tube in substantially liquid-tight engagement withsaid .fixture and with the bore of 'saidtube. in communication with said passageway, anda-valve plate'associated with said fixture and rotatable. in its principal plane. to open and :close said passageway at will whereby the flow of mercury from said passageway ispermitted orstopped as desirede 5. In a device oi the class described,'a-reservoir containing mercury or the like, a fixture joined to'said reservoir, said fixture having 'a recess therein and a passageway therethrough extending from said recess to the interior of said reservoir, a resilient washer having-an aperture therein and positioned' 'in saidrecess with its aperture, inregistry with the discharge opening in said passagewayan indicating tube in substantially liquid-tight engagement. with. said washer, .the-zbore of said tube communicating with the opening in theawashen andan apertured valve plate in. engagement with said washer and being. adjustable across said passageway to the opening in said washer.

6. In adevice of the class described having a transparent indicating tube therein, a support move its aperture into and'out of registrywith havingtwo widelyspaced projecting portions 76 and having two projecting ribs thereon between said portions, said ribs being spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the diameter of said indicating tube, and a scale plate unit comprising a graduated portion and an arcuate backing portion adapted to receive said tube, the side edges of said scale plate unit engaging said projecting portion, the principal part of said backing portion being mounted between said ribs, and resilient lugs on said unit gripping the surfaces of said ribs.

7. In a device of the class described having a. transparent indicating tube therein, a support having two projecting ribs spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the diameter of said indicating tube, a projecting part at one side of said ribs, an arcuate backing portion to be received between said ribs and adapted to receive said tube, resilient lugs on said portion gripping the outside surfaces of said ribs, and a graduated strip extending adjacent said tube and attached to said backing portion, said strip resting on said part.

ERICI-I BANDOLY. 

